Lebanon cast into limbo again as Hariri steps down (Roundup)

By Weedah Hamza Sep 10, 2009, 15:54 GMT

Beirut- Pro-Western Lebanese leader Saad Hariri announced Thursday that he was stepping down as the country's prime-minister designate, after nearly three months of trying to form a unity government.

'Given that my commitment to forming a government of national unity has run up against difficulties that everyone now knows about, ... I have informed the president of the republic that I have abandoned trying to form a government,' he told journalists following talks with President Michel Suleiman near Beirut.

'I hope that this decision will be in the interests of Lebanon and will permit a relaunch of dialogue,' Hariri said.

The announcement by Hariri comes after 73 days of fruitless efforts by Hariri to form a government including all Lebanese political currents.

Hariri became Lebanon's premier-in-waiting on June 27 after his Future Movement won a majority in the Lebanese general election.

Hariri and his allies won a healthy majority of 71 seats in the 128-member parliament, while the Hezbollah-led opposition achieved 57.

According to the Lebanese constitution Hariri had seventy days to form his new government after being named.

On Monday, Hariri submitted his proposed 30-member cabinet to President Michel Suleiman, but without the crucial approval of the opposition parties, including Hezbollah.

In Hariri's proposed cabinet, his majority grouping would have had 15 ministers, 10 would go to the opposition, and the president would appoint the remaining five.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday criticized Hariri for proposing a line-up which he said would only complicate the situation in Lebanon.

'I do not believe this way of doing things will lift Lebanon from the crisis over the formation of the new government,' Nasrallah said. 'It will make the problem more complicated.'

Hariri had said that he would not form a cabinet that does not fairly reflect the outcome of the 2009 parliamentary elections. He also said he would not succumb to 'blackmail.'

'I have the full right to present President Michel Suleiman with a cabinet line-up, which in my opinion, is aligned with the principles of a national-unity cabinet,' he said.

Political analyst Mohammed Salam alleged that external forces had played a part in the failed cabinet negotiations, saying Iran had pushed the Hezbollah-led opposition to stick to unrealistic demands, in order to make Hariri's pro-Western majority to fail.

He added that the opposition continued to make unrealistic demands, specifically those of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, (allied to Hezbollah) 'who is still insisting on the appointment of his son-in-law Jubran Bassil to the Telecommunications Ministry.'

However MP Ibrahim Kenaan, from Aoun's parliamentary bloc, said Saad Hariri's proposed cabinet lineup 'contradicts the constitution,' as it had not paid due consideration to the role of Lebanon's president in appointing a number of ministers.

Mohammad Fneish, Labour Minister in the outgoing government and a Hezbollah member, said that the negotiations toward a new unity government would continue.

'Hariri's resignation will bring about a new round of consultations,' he said, adding that coalition government was the 'only possible solution' in Lebanon.

A government source who requested anonymity, said Hariri would be renamed as premier in the new consultations which the president should start in the coming few days with lawmakers.

'Hariri heads the ruling majority in the country and they have the right to name the premier, so obviously Hariri will be named again and this will give him a new chance for a new round of dialogue' the source said.

But a source close to the Hezbollah-led opposition said 'If Hariri is reappointed, he will not be politically strong, since his resignation came at a time when he was in a very weak position.'

In 2006, Lebanon witnessed a similar political crisis after all Shiite ministers loyal to the opposition resigned from the cabinet.

The situation deteriorated in May 2008 when sectarian fighting broke out between the Hezbollah and government-backed forces.

The fighting ended when Lebanese rivals reached an agreement in Qatar to form a national unity government.